Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff (7) celebrates his game-winning field goal with teammates Sam Koch (4) and Dennis Pitta (88) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Baltimore on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. The Ravens defeated the Cardinals 30-27. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Photo: Gail Burton, Associated Press

Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff (7) celebrates his...

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Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff (7) walks across the field during warm ups before the AFC Championship NFL football game against the New England Patriots Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Photo: Stephan Savoia, Associated Press

Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff (7) walks across the field...

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Billy Cundiff (right), who made seven of 12 field-goal attempts for the Redskins this season, doesn't have David Akers' range.

With the 15-year veteran in the midst of a near-season-long slump, the 49ers signed Billy Cundiff to compete with Akers in practice for the right to kick in the postseason.

To make room for Cundiff on the 53-man roster, the 49ers released nomadic linebacker Eric Bakhtiari, 28, for the third time since Aug. 30.

Akers has made 5 of his past 15 attempts from 40-plus yards and ranks 30th in the NFL in field-goal percentage (69.0). Cundiff, however, arrives with his own issues.

The 10-year veteran was released by the Redskins in October after he made 7 of 12 attempts in the season's first five games. In his final two games, Cundiff made 2 of 6 field-goal tries, missing from 41, 31, 57 and 31 yards.

Prior to his arrival in Washington, Cundiff, 32, spent three seasons in Baltimore. He made his lone Pro Bowl in 2010, but became best known for his final kick with the franchise. In last season's AFC Championship Game, Cundiff missed a 32-yard try with 11 seconds left in a 23-20 loss to the Patriots.

Before his miss, Cundiff had made 12 of 13 postseason field-goal attempts, with eight coming from inside 30 yards. The Ravens released Cundiff on Aug. 26.

Cundiff does not have the range of Akers, who has made 24 of 47 attempts from 50-plus yards, including an NFL-record-tying 63-yarder in Week 1. Cundiff is 5-of-19 from at least 50 yards and has missed 9 of his past 10 attempts from that distance. He has made 81.2 percent of his attempts (134 of 165) from inside 50 yards.

At this point, the 49ers are quite familiar with Cundiff, who played for head coach Jim Harbaugh's brother, John, in his three seasons in Baltimore. Cundiff, who tried out with journeyman Justin Medlock on Tuesday in Santa Clara, also had a tryout with the 49ers in late November when Akers had a pelvis injury.

It behooved the 49ers to sign a kicker quickly. Starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday, they can make only four roster moves throughout the rest of the postseason.

As for Bakhtiari, the Burlingame native presumably would be available if the 49ers decide to release Akers or Cundiff during the postseason. Bakhtiari has been released 11 times by six teams since Sept. 11, 2008.